7th installment of the VGNU.
As the land of Hyrule fights to reform, an old evil reawakens on an island where it was imprisoned.
Secreting themselves away, the Princess of this land and her chosen hero travel to put this evil to rest permanently...
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As the growing Kingdom of Hyrule expands to reach the far corners of it's great continent, an effort is made to cross the western sea to settle in a much larger world. However, legend tells of an old weapon, forged some 100 years ago; a blade with incredible power. It was sought after by a vile wizard, and so was locked away. Only the Royal Hylian Family knew where.
On a small island to the east, guarded only by the finest knights, there is a shrine where the blade rests. However, recently, the guards have stopped reporting, they no longer return to the mainland. What's worse, foul winds have prevented anyone from investigating, turning them away before they reach shore.
Fearing the worst, and with the King away to oversee the expansion of the Kingdom, the young Princess Zelda slips away, taking with her her dearest friend, Link, in the hopes of solving this mystery...
By some miracle... or perhaps something more sinister... they were able to reach the island safely...
"We have arrived," Zelda said, leading Link into the chamber of the Four Sword. Light poured into the room from the great stained window above them, reflecting off the old sword across from them, and the mural of the Four Swords behind it. The elements that had once made the sword what it came to be sat on pedestals around them, unpolished and slowly becoming like stone once more. Zelda's dress rolled over the moss that overgrew the stonework of the shrine as she approached the blade. "That is the sacred blade I spoke of, the Four Sword. Sealed away in its forged steel is Vaati, the Wind Mage." Zelda turned away from Link, looking at the sword. Lately she had been sensing weakness in the seal that bound Vaati to the blade. It worried her. That was why she brought Link with her...
Link stepped towards the sword.
"Be careful," Zelda warned. "It is said that the body of one who touches this blade will be shattered to pieces. It has mysterious powers... Legends say that when mighty Vaati attacked, a hero arose and saved the people from destruction." Even as they watched, the gem on the hilt glowed in response to Link's proximity. "They go on to say that by using this sword, the one was as four, and the four combined their strength." Zelda moved away from Link, closer to the sword. "Let's check the seal... step back a moment."
Link listened and returned to the chamber's entrance while Zelda walked the rest of the way to the sword. Before she could do anything, the sword shifted, tilting slightly. Alarmed, Zelda jumped in surprise.
Then the room got darker, and a wicked shadowy hand reached down from above, grabbing Zelda. Link tried to reach for her, but Zelda was pulled into the air too quickly, and the monster that held her hovered above Link. It was some kind of demon; a warped ball of death and darkness, a single large eye looking down at him. The demon made the room darker, shadows spreading out around him, wrapping around Zelda. They were too far from Link for him to do anything, all he could do was glare up at the monster.
"Hoh hoh hoh hoh!" the demon laughed, his voice coming from everywhere at once. "Have you some business with me?"
Link grit his teeth.
"So you noticed that the seal was weakening?" the demon mused. The eye floated downward a bit, staring at the sword. "How rude! Release me!"
Nothing happened.
The demon looked up, then at Zelda. "Eh?" he muttered. "I sensed a great power approaching, so I hid myself. But my, what a lovely catch! Surely you must be some noble maiden." His eye grew wide, looking down at Link. "My name is Vaati," he said cheerfully. "I am the great Wind Mage! The seal is broken... so I shall rage yet again! Hoh hoh hoh! And what a gift awaits my return! I shall make you my bride!"
Vaati hovered upwards again. "Onward we go, to my palace of winds! Hoh hoh hoh!"
Vaati was still too far. As Link jumped to grab Zelda, Vaati just pulled her away further. Then he flew upwards, and swooped back down before flying off, knocking Link back against one of the elemental pillars.
"EEEEEEK!" Zelda screamed as she was carried off. "Help me!"
Link felt his eyes grow heavy as he watched his friend get taken away. His head hurt too much to stay awake.
___
Open your eyes... Young hero...
Link forced himself awake, rubbing his eyes. When he could see again, he found three glowing fairies floating before him. Blue, red, and yellow balls of light each with a pair of wings.
"Princess Zelda has been carried off to Vaati's Palace," they all said in unison. "Hurry! You must go to her... But you cannot go alone... You have need of the Four Sword... Draw out the blade..."
They floated away from him, staying by the sword.
Link got to his feet, stepping towards the sword. It sat tilted in its stone, but it hummed with energy, almost glowing. He wasn't sure how, but he knew he was the only one able to see that light. It was like it was there, but wasn't. It hadn't been doing that before, when Zelda was here.
He placed his hand on the hilt, and pulled it from the pedestal.
His vision flashed, and he stumbled backwards, but something seemed to hold him up. He realized he couldn't move his hand, it remained stuck to the sword's hilt, holding it in the air as if something was drawing it upward.
Then the strangest thing happened.
One by one, another Link took their sword from his, pulling away from the strange force. They were him, but not, at the same time. First the Link in red; he held his sword high, a stern look on his face. Then the Link in blue; holding his sword, he kept a more casual expression as he stared up at the light of the blades. And lastly, the Link in purple; he stood with the rest of them, a cheerful gleam in his eyes, like he was stepping outside for the first time in centuries.
The Link in green, the original Link, stumbled backwards. The power that had held him finally let go. As he caught his footing, he saw the three other Links standing before him and some old memory came to mind.
"We're at your side... No matter how many times it takes."
"No matter how mighty the enemy," the fairies said, snapping Link back to attention. "With the power of four, you can defeat it... The Great Fairies ahead know the path to his palace... If the Great Fairies acknowledge your abilities, they will show you the way."
Link looked at the sword in his hand, the gem at it's base glowing green. The silver blade caught the light from the broken window above them, but he could still see his reflection. He looked at the other Links standing in front of him, and saw the differences. They were him, but not him. A different version of him, like they were...
"Please," the fairies said. "Rescue the princess..."
Link nodded, sliding the sword into his belt. He led the other Links out the door he saw Vaati go through. If he hurried, he shouldn't be too far behind.
When I originally wrote the outline for this story, it was planned to be about five chapters, not including Prologue and Epilogue. It is technically the shortest main series installment in the Zelda franchise, and I intended to reflect that.
I uh... I may have had a bit more fun breaking this world than I should have.
